California congressman wants to make 32-hour workweek a U.S. law

One California congressman wants to make the four-day workweek a federal law.

Rep. Mark Takano, a Democrat representing California’s 39th congressional district, which includes Riverside County, reintroduced the 32-Hour Workweek Act. This bill would reduce the standard 40-hour workweek to 32 hours by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The bill would also mandate overtime pay for any work done after 32 hours and applies to non-exempt employees who typically work hourly jobs in various sectors, including transportation, wholesale and retail.

The legislation was initially introduced by Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.

“Workers across the nation are collectively reimagining their relationship to labor – and our laws need to follow suit,” Rep. Takano said in a statement.

“We have before us the opportunity to make common sense changes to work standards passed down from a different era. The 32-Hour Workweek Act would improve workers’ quality of life, meeting the demand for a truncated workweek that allows room to live, play, and enjoy life more fully outside of work.”

The bill encourages employers to pay employees overtime for any work done after the 32-hour mark or hire more employees to help manage the workload.... (Read more)

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